49th Wing commander hosts town-hall meeting

Colonel Andrew Croft, 49th Wing commander, fields questions from members of Holloman Air Force Base, during a town hall meeting held at the Community Activity Center Nov. 15. Croft hosted the town-hall meeting to get feedback from members of the base and to gain insight into improvements.

The 49th Wing commander hosted a town-hall meeting Nov. 15 at the Community Activity Center to field questions from members of Holloman.

The meeting also gave agencies around the base a chance to provide important information to Team Holloman.

During the meeting, Col. Andrew Croft answered several questions from the community.

Q: The base bulletin is no longer sent out like it usually was on Thursdays. Why is that?

A: One complaint we had with the base bulletin was that it was so long and had such a small font that a lot of people couldn't read it anymore.

When people are sent an e-mail with an attachment that's four or five pages long, the tendency is to delete it. We're going to look at possibly regenerating it in a simpler format with real-time data to remedy this issue.

Q: I've often found the base bulletin to be inconsistent with information found on Facebook for events around the base.

Why do different outlets give conflicting information about the same event?

A: The most accurate up-to-date information on events in the future will likely be found on the Holloman Facebook page or on the new Force Support Squadron app for smart phones.

Unfortunately, mistakes happen. We'll do our best to prevent any confusion in the future.

Q: What are your plans to improve the conditions of roads on base?

A: It's an on-going process. We have about five or six roads that have already been identified for resurfacing.

Right now, we're placing a priority on the roads that need to be replaced most urgently.

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We do realize there are some issues with the roads and we're working to fix it.

Q: What is the timeframe for completion of the new pop-up barriers on base?

A: Years ago, we bought new active barriers to ensure that gate-runners could not get through. We were never able to certify them because of some technical issues.

Right now, we're working to repair those barriers and hopefully have them up and running by the end of December.

Q: What can we do to make people more accountable for their pets on base and prevent cruelty to animals?

A: If anyone suspects cruelty to animals, they can report it and it will be investigated. With the privatization of base housing, the challenge is that the Security Forces Squadron must have consent from Soaring Heights before entering any home on base.

They are working together to make sure a representative from Soaring Heights is available at all times.

Also, they are coordinating with the city and county to come up with an agreement that will give them jurisdiction to act jointly when it comes to animal neglect or cruelty because all strays or neglected animals are taken to the local shelter off base.

If it is in fact a case of animal cruelty or neglect, individuals have been and will continue to be charged accordingly. We recognize the problem and we're actively working on it.

For up-to-date information on current events, road closures and Holloman news, visit the official web site, www.holloman.af.mil; "like" the official Holloman AFB Facebook page, www.facebook.com/HollomanOnFB or follow us on Twitter @HollomanAFB